Month: November 2015

Though it wasn’t quite two feet, Detroiters experienced our first snowfall of the season this week. Thanks to the balmy Thanksgiving Day weather, all that snow is long gone though Michiganders always know there’s more to come. Thanks, Lisa S. (who now lives in Florida) for sharing this image with her childhood friends.

2 feet of snow

Immigration

We shouldn’t repeat the mistakes of our ancestors during WWII when, Then, the desperate immigrants were Jews and We, the US, turned our backs of them/us. Bravo to those who are speaking up to “Do the Right Thing” (like Mayor Mike Duggan) by opening our doors to the desperate lives affected by war and terror. Applying for Immigration Status is an extremely rigorous long term process with extensive vetting by numerous agencies. Yes, we need to keep vigilant and safe but there are more effective ways than shunning a devastated population.

Disruption

The capital of Belgium and the EU, Brussels, came to a halt this week as schools, public transportation and some stores were closed due to concerns of possible terror activity. Disrupting our lives is exacting what these twisted terrorist want to do and it seems they are succeeding, through actual terror or threats of terror. We must find a strategy to combat this deadly trajectory of evil.

Against the Odds

The Western World hates ISIS (Deash) but when it comes to the same exact tactics by Palestinian terrorist, the world goes mute. Every week (including this one) for the past several months (years, decades) Israelis have been murdered/terrorized by Palestinians while the Palestinians heroize the terrorist. Yet, something about Israeli victims warrants more leniency and evenhandedness. News media feel obligated to show both deaths as equal when stabbing victims and their perpetrators die. In addition there is a media obsession with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. For a tiny country and region, the amount of journalist covering the conflict is much higher than anywhere else in the world. Also, out of proportion is the amount of United Nations resolutions against Israel compared to anywhere, including North Korea and Syria. This week the American Anthropological Association voted overwhelmingly (1,040 to 136) to boycott Israel. You’d think Anthropologist would know the anthropological proof of ancient Israel but they now add themselves to a long list of other bias Academic Association. Even when The Patriots (with their well respected and very pro-Israel owners) paid tribute to the death of Ezra Schwartz they never mentioned Israel or Palestinian terrorists, though they say it was completely unintentional since the wanted to focus on all terror victims.

“we also pause to remember the many of who have recently lost their lives in senseless terror attacks abroad. Last Thursday, this reality struck close to home when 18-year-old Ezra Schwartz, a native of Sharon, Massachusetts, and a huge Patriots fan, was gunned down nearly 5,500 miles from home while studying abroad. At this time, we would like to honor Ezra Schwartz, and the hundreds of victims like him, with a moment of silence.”

Sadly this bias against Israel has persisted and increased as the guilt of the Holocaust fades and the strength of Israel since the Six-Day War has changed her status from “David” to a (necessary) “Goliath”. Then, throw in Anti-semitism and you’ve got opinions that range from Double Standard to flat out Israel hatred. Israel was the canary in the coalmine years ago forewarning the acts of radical terrorism with suicide bombings. But the world was biasly blinded so they ignored the warning signs and now we’ve got the hatred spread to the US, France and all of Western Civilization (though they continue to kill themselves too) and many, like the (female) Swedish Foreign Minister, have the balls to blame Israel for this global catastrophe.

Jeff Goldblum is the Fixer in this comedic attack of the Environmental Protection Agency for trying to keep our air clean. Goldblum saved us in Jurassic Park but can he save us now. Thank you League of Conservatin Voters for this creative message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WaWJPx3UPY

Music makes the world go around…

Detroit Bred

Stephen Colbert knows talent when he sees/hears it. He debuted this awesome Metro Detroit musical phenomenon called Vulpeck. Their website describes them as ” a half-Jewish post-geographic rhythm section formed in Southeast Michigan”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceuIz7dMA8Q

Classical Gas

And for more amazing talent, check out my very favorite guitar song (by Mason Williams) performed by the incredible (Australian) Tommy Emmanuel (who is playing a sold out concert at the Ann Arbor Ark in Feb.). If you love the songClassical Gas, you will love this rendition. Listen for hidden tunes inside the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk

Hello

Last installment for this week’s musical choices is a huge talent and you’d be living under a rock if you haven’t heard her yet. Enjoy Jimmy and Adele with The Roots performing on children’s instruments. Truly the best…

Condolences to the family and friends of Harvey Grace z”l. A sweet man who will be missed in our community. May his memory and love bring comfort to those who mourn his passing.

Condolences to Bruce Thal and his family on the passing of his beloved wife, Ileane Thal z”l. She dedicated her life to her family, community and books/libraries. May her memory be a blessing unto all who loved her.

RIP, Chad Carr (age 5), who stole the hearts of all in this community with his 15 month fight against cancer. He was the grandson of U of M football heros Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis. May his short life bring long memories to those who were touched by his presence.

When will it end? In this “enlightened” era of the 21st Century when illnesses are cured, tiny computers are developed, space travel is conquered…how can barbarism plague our global society. There is more than enough blame spouted from the media, but how do we get to the root of the problem? How do we stop the hate from mutating and spreading? How do we reach the infected minds and switch that corrupt gear that blocks the natural Humanity element? Humans are complex beings with Free Will capable of committing Horror, but how do we educate and inject humanity back into those distorted souls.

On the other hand…

As Emma says “…give us your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”, but (as Tevye says) “on the other hand”, how do we keep our own country safe, on the other hand, we too were homeless once, on the other hand, minorities of our homeless ancestors weren’t hijacked by radical terrorist, on the other hand, most Muslims aren’t terrorist, on the other hand, can we safeguard the entrance system to prevent homeland terror? Though, if Congress and Candidates really want to keep us safe, maybe, instead of limiting immigration, limiting easy access to assault weapons would be a good start.

Two Perspectives

Two of my favorite voices have chimed in on our Terrorist Era. Jeffrey Goldberg explains a list of things we do that enrage the Terrorists and David Harris explains 5 lessons we should learn from this radical Islamic terrorism.

After years of politically promoting anti-gay legislation and recently establishing a new anti-gay policy regarding the children of gay couples, 1800 members (with a growing list) have resigned from the Mormon Church as they continue their discriminatory agenda against the LGBT community. FYI and irrelevant to this story (but I found interesting) is that both the Jewish and Mormon population is about 14 million strong

Mazel Tov

On a positive note, the White House announced this year’sPresidential Medal of Freedom honorees including Yogi Berra (posthumously), Shirley Chisholm (posthumously, first African-American elected to Congress), Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Itzhak Perlman, Stephen Sondheim, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor among others. These worthy recipients will receive their awards on Nov. 24th. Click here to see the other honorees:

And more good news…Drink that extra cup of coffee. As it turns out, it good for your health. A study found that coffee drinkers outlive those who forgo those cups-a-joe. Apparently,“Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation,” whatever that means… I wonder if our Jura machine is covered under our health insurance :-).

We all knew it, but now that it’s in People Magazine, it is public knowledge. Warren Beatty is So Vain, as Carly Simonconfirms he “knew the song was about him”. I love this Carly song (Not the one about Warren) and this video has vintage home movies of a very young Carly and her sisters.

Sending hugs and love to Marc Stanley and his family on the passing of Marc’s brother Roger Stanley z”l. Roger was the youngest of 4 brothers who dedicated his life to serving his community through his passion to help Seniors and Dogs, while taking time to travel the world and create lifelong friendships. May his memory and spirit be a blessing onto those who knew and love him.

It’s a Shanda

Rest in Peace Jacov Litman z”l and his 18 year old son,Netanel Litman z”l who were gunned down by Palestinian terrorist in their car while injuring other family members. These frequent killings are sadly too common to warrant headline news. Also, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Ambulance near the scene “boycotted” these victim and drove past the family.

18 year-old American Ezra Schwartz z”l was one of the 5 people killed in Israel this week. Two were stabbed in Tel Avivand 3 (one Palestinian) were killed in Gush Etzion, including Ezra, who was from Sharon, MA. Where and What is Gush Etzion…? It is a neighborhood (“some” would call Settlements) yet “when” a Two-State solution is finalized, this neighborhood will remain part of Israel. It is directly south of (and strategically protects) Jerusalem. The origins date back to 1920 when the land was legally purchased and in the 1940s, Jewish agriculture villages were established till they were destroyed by Arab partners in 1948. The area was rebuilt after the 6-Day war in 1967. Ezra was in the area passing out food to Israeli soldiers when he was killed. May his memory and spirit bring comfort to his loved one and may his life and the other victims be a blessing onto Israel.

Nov. 20th (Tonight, Friday)

National Organ Donor Shabbat

Temple Shir Shalom

7:30pm

Honoring the incredible efforts of the Stillman Family in support of the Emily Stillman Foundation which promotes organ donation and MenG Vaccinations.

The individuals touched by the Stillman Family’s generosity will be attending this special Organ Donor Shabbat. Bravo to Temple Shir Shalom, the Stillmans and all who help promote the importance of Organ Donation.

TMI, a little Too Much (quantity of) Information was included in last week’s email. Sorry to overload you but at least the info was actuate. Seems the discussion this week is the truthfulness of our presidential candidates. In this day and age, when everything can be fact-checked instantaneously, why would candidates “embellish” when their factual lives are impressive enough. Honesty is an honorable trait that deserves respect and recognition but dishonesty is the demon some wield too freely.

Health Check

Keeping with the TMI theme and my constant attempt to provide healthful information, here is a website that compliments the Squatty Potty (mentioned a few months ago) with an important chart about your “masterpieces”. Warning, avoid this website if you prefer to stay oblivious about your insides. http://www.viralnova.com/poops/?utm_content=inf_10_2454_2&mb=wh5p&ts_pid=2

Lessons Learned

The rise of hateful racist remarks (seemingly ignored) and disgusting displays (one included the source of the above paragraph smeared into a nazi symbol) plus the boycott of theU of Missouri football team, resulted in the resignation of the University President. But more effort is needed to address our campus (and nation’s) racism problem. Hatred is taught (not innate) and we must work hard to reach our country’s crevices where it is perpetuated from generation to generation.

Sensitivity Training

Racial slurs are the unintended outcome that occurs from many sports teams. For example, Native Americans are offended by the Washington Redskins yet they refuse to change their name even after a Federal Judge cancelled the team’s trademark in July. Apparently, 2000 High Schools have similar names and now Adidas has offered to financially help any school who is willing to change their insensitive name. California schools need to get on the bandwagon since last month they banned the use of the name Redskins from any school team. http://usatodayhss.com/2015/adidas-offers-help-to-schools-that-want-to-change-native-american-team-names

Deck Stacked Against Israel

Teaching hatred to young minds is prevalent within the Palestinian culture. While their counterparts here in the US learn pleasant nursery rhymes and cheerful songs, their Palestinian peers are learning to hate and kill their “enemy”. Google, for yourself, the words Palestinian Children’s TV,Textbooks or Songs and see what pops up. Because of this curricular (and social media) brainwashing, each and every week, there are random acts of stabbings and car rammings keeping Israelis on constant guard. The deck always seem stacked against Israel with a double standard including this week’s European Union requirement to forbid “Made in Israel” labels on all merchandise made in East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank. The new labels must state “Made in Settlements”. This augments the BDS movement to sanction Israel while ignoring hundreds of other disputed global territories with no labeling requirements. The Israeli Ambassador to the EU explains the frustration on this BBC radio story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p037s2lv

L’Chaim

Even with the deck stacked against her, Israel continues to rank highest on many surveys including this month’s news that she is the 6th healthiest nation according to this Bloomberg Report. Singapore tops the list at #1 while the US dips to #33, while Swaziland brings up the rear at dead last. Here’s the full list: http://tinyurl.com/healthiestCountries

Teen Talk

Imagine if you could talk to your teenage self while you are in your 50s. That’s exactly what Peter Emshwiller has done with this extremely creative film he started in 1977 and is completing this year. Check out this trailer:

As a continuation of last week’s Alanis Morissette remake of her famous song, Ironic, this week’s version with James Corden tops them all with a fresh take on modern times. I think you’ll find it very entertaining. I laughed out loud a few times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GVJpOmaDyU&feature=youtu.be

Support our Vets

As we commemorated Veterans Day this week, I commend and salute all soldiers who’ve fought and served to keep our homelands (yes, plural) safe. We need to do a better job at taking care of all Veterans for the rest of their lives. Thank you,Nancy Schlichting, for taking on the national role to improve the desperately needed health care for our Vets.

Today, Nov. 6th, marks the 6th year of my Shabbat Shalom hobby. I plan to continue it at least “sixfold” more years (I hope that means 6×6 or 36 more years). All 6 years of these email are now being transferred to a blog so in the near future you will be able to read them at the blog site, WordPress and comment with your thoughts. Apparently the 6th anniversary is celebrated with Iron and Candy, so feel free to shower me with Horseshoes and Hershey’s kisses…

“Oops, I did it again”

“Error” is my middle name and I made three of them (that I know of) last week.

1. Dr. Thomas Kovan z”l was Linda’s uncle.

2. I missed Rick Weinstein’s birthday on Nov. 3rd

3. Brenda Steuer’s birthday is not Oct. 30th, it is May 15th.

Triple oops to these mistakes and any others. I fully admit my human flaws and would rather write with mistakes than miss my weekly habit.

“You’ve got to change your evil ways, baby”

While counting “flaws” or deadly judgements in error, the world should know that nearly 800 terror attacks have occurred in Israel since the Jewish New Year, only two months ago, including 4 stabbing victims this week (2 elderly people). Why do so many sit idly by or worse yet, blame Israel for this terror? There is no excuse for this behavior, no matter the politics. Those blaming Bibi or the occupation or any injustice should educate themselves on the Truth. As I’ve always said, Israel is by no means a perfect country (there is no such thing), but she has bent over backwards in her historic attempts to make peace with the Palestinians. Completely withdrawing from Gaza, giving 99% of demands during Olso, treating Arab victims of terror and neighboring wars…and the list goes on of her Humanity. There is absolutely no justification for Terrorism. No modern, democratic country would stand for these attacks on their innocent citizens, not to mention the real intent (of some extremists), to obliterate the existence of the Jewish State and in some eyes the Jews too. I’m a self-proclaimed bleeding heart liberal but on this issue I differ greatly from my left kinship. The stakes are too high to ignore the facts and sit idling by…

“This land is your land, this land is my land”

This week’s elections produced an unexpected guard change in Kentuckyfrom a Dem. Governor to a very conservative Republican one, which the state hasn’t seen in 40 years. The newly elected (Tea-Party) Matt Bevin and his (Detroit born) Lieutenant Gov., Jenean Hampton, made history as Ms. Hampton became the first African-American ever to be elected to a Statewide office in Kentucky. Both Bevin and Hampton are newbies to elected office and now lead their State that used to be dominated by the Dems. The other surprising (and maddening) upset occurred in Houston, TX where the opposition to an anti-discrimination law used a scare tactic implying the law would allow sex offenders to enter women’s bathrooms. Houstonians fell for it and voted against protecting equal rights.

Thanks, Susanna, for posting this on your Facebook page.

“So kiss me and smile for me”

224 people lost their lives in the Sinai Desert plane crash as investigators are trying to determine the cause of this deadly tragedy. Was the aircraft in poor condition or was foul play involved? Of course, the demonic Daesh takes credit and now the UK has pulled their flights for this desert resort town. To the victims families, no answer will bring back their loved ones, but to the Russian authorities, cause might be the reason for future actions.

“But you got to have friends. The feeling’s oh so strong.”

To the dismay of US negotiators and leadership, Iran has become more hostile and emboldened after the Iranian Nuclear agreement as opposed to friendlier and more understanding. Americans continue to be arrested in Iran for espionage, Iran tested a ballistic missile a few weeks ago and this week they celebrated the (double Chai) 36th anniversary of the Iran Hostage Crisis with a rally chanting Death to America and Death to Israel as both flags were burned. Of course they try to explain that “their” meaning of “Death to America” only refers to the evil American policies certainly not the Americans. Yes, that makes it all better. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/iran-marks-u-s-embassy-storming-as-deal-leaves-rivalry-intact

Iran’s celebration this week

“I can see the red taillights headed for Spain”

“Dear passengers, we will be landing soon in Palestine.” is not how pilots should address their passengers when approaching Ben Gurion International Airport squarely situation in the land of Israel. Not surprising this Iberian Airline pilot was removed from the Madrid/Israel route and hopefully required to go back to High School geography class. After an investigation, Iberia Airline says it was a misunderstanding (lost in translation). They refute that the Spanish version included Palestine as the final destination while the English version only stated Tel Aviv with no mention of Israel.

One company that does love Israel is the candy, Mentos. About a year ago, they started printing “I love Israel” on their Mentos packaging, but it seems only recently that social media has picked it up and figuratively thrown it into those exploding Diet Coke bottles. As you can imagine, those who hate Israel have a campaign to boycott Mentos, which is why I’m chewing some Mentos gum right now. FYI, Mentos (the peppermint flavored caramel candy) was invented by two dutch brothers while riding a train to Poland in 1932. And Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati holds the World Record of the most Diet Coke/Mentos explosions. I knew you’d want to know that.

Though I didn’t know her, she raised a wonderful son who created a beautiful family with his wife. Condolences to Keenan and Orna Wolens on the passing of Keenan’s beloved mother, Maliette Wolens z”l. Survival and determination describes the life of Maliette as she lost many family members to the Holocaust while she and her family were on the run till they landed in Mexico City. She later settled in Dallas and raised her family as a dedicated member of the Jewish Community. She lived each day to the fullest as she preferred flowers sent to her while alive and not to her funeral. As stated in her obit, “In lieu of memorials, please send flowers to someone you love.” Sending love, hugs and these flowers to Keenan, Orna, Alana, Ethan, Sophie and Raquel.

Because of CNBC’s “gotcha” questions, the GOP candidates severed ties to the future NBC/Telemundo debate. Yes, maybe the questions were stupid but quite frankly if candidates can’t retort a stupid question than maybe they can’t handle the hot seat of the presidency.